


See You In Your Dreams

by VaporwaveScribe



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Attempted Murder, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/M, Female Protagonist, Female Reader, Fluff, Nightmares, No established relationship, Post-Movie: Toy Story 3, Reader has insomnia, Reader is AFAB - Freeform, Reader is dfab, Reader is human, Reader-Insert, Tenderness, Woody is a Toy, dream - Freeform, reader - Freeform, reader has a tragic backstory, reader has nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 07:16:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20422064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VaporwaveScribe/pseuds/VaporwaveScribe
Summary: You, Bonnie`s cousin, are staying with her family after the tragic murder of your parents.Every night you are haunted by the events that transpired to lead you to your current situation, resulting in a nasty case of insomnia.What happens when a certain cowboy doll decides to intervene in your nightmares?Will you finally have the peace you deserve?





	See You In Your Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER:
> 
> Woody, Bonnie and all other Toy Story characters and materials are copyright to their respective owners.
> 
> The gangsters, cops, café are of my own creation.

"End of the line, sweetheart," the first one grinned. 

"Don`t worry, dollface, you`ll be with your mommy and daddy real soon," the second chuckled darkly.

"Just give us a couple of minutes each and it`ll all be over soon..." the third hissed. He started to loosen his tie and undo the buttons on his trench coat. 

You pressed your back against the immovable stack of tires in a weak attempt to get away. Drawing your knees up to your chest, you shut your eyes and hoped...

"Sorry, gentlemen, but I`ll have to ask you to fall back and leave this young lady alone!" 

_ What? _

A hard set of feet landed in front of you. Opening your eyes, you saw a pair of brown leather boots, with sharp golden spurs attached at the ankles. You trailed your eyes up the form in front of you in shock. Dusty and worn blue denim jeans. A yellow-and-red plaid button-up shirt. A black-and-white cow-leather vest. A red neckerchief. Soft, brown hair underneath a proud leather-woven Stetson hat. 

You couldn`t believe it. 

"You can`t be..." you whispered, your hands at your side to steady yourself. 

The tall cowboy toy that belonged to your little cousin in front of you gazed over his shoulder at you and smiled warmly. His milk chocolate eyes were bright and alert. 

"Who the hell is this?" 

"She`s never had a cowboy flunkie before!" 

"Outta the way, Wild West!" the trio of men before the two of you drew your attention forward. 

"I don`t think so. You`ve tormented this woman for far too long. I`ve come to put an end to the misery you put her through," the cowboy warned, his hand settling at his side where a thick rope sat curled. 

"And who are you?" the head thug grumbled, eyeing the figure in front of you. 

"My name is Woody Pride. Most call me Sherriff Woody. But you...can reach for the sky!" He moved like lightning - razor fast. The cowboy grabbed his rope and whipped it at each of the three men. Their guns flew out of their grips and landed feet away, the men effectively disarmed. They shrieked in shock and dismay. 

"You`re gonna pay for that, asshole!" the leader roared, nursing his wrists. With a snarl, he turned to his partners. "Boys, get the big ones out!" 

Your eyes widened in fear as the other two goons withdrew large double-barrelled shotguns out of thin air. 

Woody had stepped back half a step and his free hand was thrown out in front of you, protectively. "I`m giving you one last chance, gentlemen. Walk away and this all ends now." He kept his voice steady. 

"We don`t need no Sherriff Pipsqueak telling us what to do! We`re here for the girl and we get what we want! Open fire!" 

Suddenly, Woody had scooped you into his arms and you dove over the wall of tires, bullets whizzing through the air behind you. Once you felt the hard rubber against your back, Woody released you from his grasp.

His eyes glittered with concern as he brought them up to meet yours. "Are you okay, ___?" he whispered, panting slightly. 

You nodded slowly, swallowing a lump in your throat. "Y-yeah, I think so," you mumbled, still stunned by Woody`s presence. "How did you get here? Wh-why are you here?" 

His demeanour warmed. "I wouldn`t be a very good Sherriff if I didn`t save those in need, would I?" 

You felt a small smile draw itself on your face. "But you`re the first person to do so. I just don`t understand how - " 

BOOM-PSSHHHH. 

Several of the tires providing the both of you shelter burst and their air hissed at you in warning. 

"Hold that thought. I should deal with those guys before it`s not just the tires that get holes in them." Woody said, a small smirk there. Then you felt his hands cover yours. 

_ Oh? _

"Mind if you let go for just a sec?"

"Huh?" you asked, then realized where your arms were settled. Around his neck. You gasped and withdrew your hands to your heart. Your face felt very hot all of a sudden. "Sorry..." _ How awkward...! _

"I`ll be back before you know it," Woody smiled, almost knowingly. He tipped his hat and winked at you. Woody jumped to his feet, his rope in hand. He disappeared beyond the tire wall. 

Your cheeks started to tingle. _ Does he do that with every girl he saves? Kinda...charming. _ Remembering that you were currently in a firefight, your heart leapt into your throat. Despite your fear returning, your concern for Woody was greater. A cowboy with a lasso up against 3 thugs, two of which were armed with heavy artillery? How in the world was he going to defeat them? You had to help somehow...You got on all fours and crawled towards the edge of the wall - 

BOOM-PSSHHHH. 

The last column of tires exploded, each one flying in different directions. 

You fell to your belly and covered your head. One tire bounced heavily off your back and rolled away. Several bullets whizzed past your nose. Squeaking out of terror, you shuffled backwards, away from the broken column. Tears then started to fall. _ No...Woody! _ You were going to lose him! You were going to lose someone else to those monsters that tortured your dreams! You were going to lose him and it`s all your fault - 

It was then that the bullets stopped. There were two loud clatters of metal on concrete. And there were three muffled voices crying out in fury. A confident set of footsteps grew louder as they came back your way. You shut my eyes and held your breath. 

"It`s okay, ___. You`re safe now." Woody`s reedy, yet comforting voice spoke gently. 

Opening your eyes, you raised your head and your eyes widened. There was Woody the Sherriff, a little worse for wear, but bent on one knee before you. His hand was outstretched to you. His eyes bright, but reassuring. His pointed nose, a little dirty. His thin lips drawn into a kind smile. You kept your eyes trained on him in awe as you slowly sat up and slid your hand into his. 

It was then that it truly hit you. Woody had rescued you. You weren`t living through another nightmare. You were safe. You launched yourself into Woody`s arms, burying your face in his shoulder, the tears flowing freely. "Oh my god...oh my god..." you wailed. 

You felt Woody wrap his arms around your form as you sobbed, patting your back softly. "There, there. It`s okay," he cooed into your ear. 

You pulled away momentarily and wiped your face with your sleeves. "Woody, oh my god. Thank you. Thank you so much. You don`t know what they would have done to me if you never showed up." 

The cowboy stared at you grimly. "I think I knew exactly what they would have done. No one deserves what they put you through every night." 

You gasped, your hand covering your mouth. "How did you know - " 

"Hey, you folks okay over there?" a voice interrupted you. A flashlight shone in your direction. Woody and you shielded your eyes from the sudden bright light. Through your fingers, you could see blue uniforms and golden badges. The cops! 

"Yes, sir, Officer. I was just making sure this young lady is safe and unharmed," Woody answered as the uniformed man approached. 

"That you, Sherriff? Nice work with those gangsters. My team will take over from here. You alright there, Miss?" The cop had a strangely indistinguishable face. The features were there, but they were smudged. Much like the people in the café. 

"Miss?" he asked again. 

"Oh, um, yes, I`m fine. Thank you for your help," you stuttered, realizing you were staring. 

"Anytime, Miss," the faceless cop nodded. He turned to Woody. "I`ll leave her to you, Sherriff. Have a nice evening." With that, he left the two of you to return to his team to round up the criminals. 

"I suppose you`re looking for some answers after all this craziness then, huh?" Woody`s voice brought you back to him and the events that just occurred.

You scratched the back of your head and grinned awkwardly. "I mean, after so many sleepless nights, I - oh my god, you`re hurt!" 

Your eyes had trailed to Woody`s right arm where several bullets had grazed him. Cotton leaked from the broken seams. _ He really is still a toy. _

"It`s not that bad..." Woody said, shrugging it off. 

You carefully held his arm in your hands and stared in concern. "No, please let me look at it. The café has some supplies we can use."

Woody began to protest, but he must have seen the worry on your face and he sighed in resignation. "Okay." 

For the first time tonight, you smiled brightly. You grabbed the hand of the arm that was untouched and led the cowboy towards the café. You passed the group of blank-faced cops cuffing the thugs that hounded you for nights on end. The thick rope that Woody held lay in a pile not far away. 

For once, you felt some form of relief. Your heartbeat slowed down and your chest didn`t heave so harshly. You heard a thoughtful hum from the man behind you. You looked back and he held a sympathetic look. 

"I`m glad I could help you. It must have been awful for you to live with this every night." 

Your face tightened as you shook off the thoughts of previous nights. "Yeah..." 

Flashbacks to the nightmares that plagued you since that fateful day ran through your mind. The things you saw, heard, _ felt... _ You blinked away some tears that threatened to surface. You missed the worried gaze Woody fixed on you as you almost ran headlong into the grungy back door of the café.

A plain white door with an unpolished brass knob stood before you.

"This way," you mumbled, tugging your companion into the dated building. 

You passed the short hallway and turned left into the dust-filled office. The spider-webbed wood paneling lined the room, the colour matching the large desk. A yellowed desktop computer sat upon the desk, the only item aside from a couple pieces of scribbled-on paper. Cardboard boxes stacked high on the worn linoleum. A first aid kit rested on one stack beneath a greasy window. 

You turned to Woody. "Stay here for a sec." 

It was then that you realized your hands were still intertwined. You couldn`t help but still be amazed at the fact that a toy, made of plastic, fabric and cotton had come to your rescue. And...how warm his hand was...

You dropped his hand and fidgeted nervously. "Umm...please take a seat. I`ll see what I can do to patch you up." You walked over to where the first aid kit lay. 

"___, are you okay?" Woody asked, his eyes trained on you curiously. You could sense some intrigue in his voice. 

Strangely, a lump formed in your throat. You picked up the plastic box and wiped away the heavy layer of dust coating it. The bright red cross gleamed up at you. You swallowed the lump with some difficulty, trying to put the weird sensation from your mind. 

"Y-yeah," you stumbled, moving back to the desk where Woody sat. "I guess I`m still kind of surprised that someone came to save me. And a toy, of all things, er, people...These nightmares have been going on for months now. The same scenario, every single night. This is the first time I might actually get a good night`s sleep in a long time!" You unclipped the latches on the box and searched for what you needed. 

"I`m so sorry. I know it`s really hard, but, do you want to talk about what happened?" Woody asked, his voice soft and cautious. 

You gripped the needle and thread in your hands and paused. 

"I don`t want to assume anything and - "

"Why did you come? How was it that you`re the one that could march into my dreams and just...break the mould?" Your eyes sought his, desperation leaking into your voice. "You`re just one of my cousin Bonnie`s toys that she made me play with...that can`t be enough to intervene in the same nightmare that has given me insomnia." 

Woody`s expression fell. "Well, this is your dream...but I...I guess that I could see the sadness in your eyes every time you played with Bonnie." You brought the materials over to Woody and fed the thread through the needle. Noticing that you weren`t protesting or stopping him, Woody continued. "My owners always were filled with joy. Filled with life. It was always something I knew. Bonnie and my previous owner, Andy, were occasionally upset. But they are both happy people. You`re the only person I`ve ever met that`s been so...sad." 

You held Woody`s damaged arm in your hands, assessing the damage. "You want to fix me? I`m not a toy, like you, you know," you said, a sharp edge to your tone as you stabbed the needle into the cowboy`s arm. 

He hissed in pain. "It`s not like that!" he cried. His tone softened as he watched you stitch him up. "A long time ago, I used to be Andy`s favourite toy. He played with me every day. I got the spot on his bed. He even decorated his room like the Old West. I was so happy. Andy was happy. Life was amazing. Then Andy got Buzz. Suddenly, Buzz was played with every day. Buzz got the spot on the bed. Andy got tired of the Old West and started thinking about Outer Space. I wasn`t wanted anymore. I was miserable. What you`ve been through sounds nothing like what I could imagine. But, if I have more control in your dream...I`d want to be here because I know what it`s like to want to have everything go back to normal." 

Woody`s free hand covered yours, halting your work. You looked up at him. Chocolate-brown eyes met yours, peering deeply within. 

You let out a shuddering breath. "My parents...were researchers. They worked on eliminating birth defects in newborn babies. They were such kind people. But they had so many enemies. They were so close to curing a commonly occurring disease at the risk of some skin pigmentation anomalies. A lot of people thought they were playing God by doing the work they did. One day, we went to my mom`s favourite café, this place," you gestured at the office you both were in. "And...those men were sent to kill my parents. They were gunned down. I tried to run but they cornered me and..." 

Woody`s hand closed firmly over yours in comfort. Your shoulders heaved. You had to say it. 

"They robbed me of my dignity and left me for dead. It`s what I relive every single night." Your tears dripped onto the floor. "I miss my parents so much. I should have been strong enough to protect them. Instead I just watched as they died in seconds and laid there as those freaks did what they did to me." 

The thread spool fell to the floor as you covered your face, sobbing hard. You felt slim arms fold around you and hold you close. Woody`s surprisingly warm form soothed you. He whispered gentle words of reassurance in your ear. He ran his firm but nimble fingers through your hair. You couldn`t tell how long you both stood there for. Seconds? Hours? All you knew was you were allowed to cry, allowed to be vulnerable, allowed to feel. And Woody just held you. In his arms, you felt safe. In his arms, you wouldn`t be judged. In his arms, you felt..._ loved? _

When you felt you had gotten the worst of it out, you pulled away. As you reached up to wipe away your tears, Woody`s hand grasped yours and he pressed his fingers against your cheeks to remove the tears himself. 

"It wasn`t fair to have all of that happen to you. You don`t deserve to lose your family, your life, but most importantly yourself. I`ve seen how you play with Bonnie; how you talk to her, spend time with her, comfort her when she`s sad...As a toy, well, I`m meant to bring her joy, comfort, protection. From where I`m standing, I can see you`re a good person, ___. You deserve to be happy." 

You looked into his eyes. Brown, soulful orbs. Even though they were made of plastic, all you could see in those eyes was truth. Before you knew it, the corners of your lips turned up. 

"And you have a beautiful smile. It`s the best reward I`ve received in a long time." Woody grinned. 

Your gaze fell and your my face felt very warm. "You`re too kind," you said, shrugging. 

His fingers went under your chin to tilt your face back up to meet his. "Not at all. I think if I get to see your smile like this, I might have to visit your dreams more often..." Woody half-smiled, his eyes lidded. 

You blinked in surprise at the compliment, your face feeling hotter with each passing second. Your stomach did an excited flip. _ Huh? What`s...this feeling? Is it...? _

It was as if Woody had snapped out of a trance. He blinked quickly and released you. He coughed into his fist awkwardly. "I-I mean, that is...umm...only if that`s okay with you..." 

You tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and swayed on your heels. "I`d like that." 

Woody met your eyes again, excitement lighting them up. "You would?! I mean," he cleared his throat and dropped his voice. "...if you insist, miss!" 

You two exchanged shy grins - 

"...___! ___, you gotta wake up now!" a high-pitched disembodied voice called out. It was familiar...

"Bonnie?" Woody and you exclaimed together. 

"Guess it`s morning. I didn`t think I`d be woken up by Bonnie of all people!" you chuckled, looking skyward. Your surroundings started to blur and dissolve around you. You were waking up. 

"She`s definitely an early riser!" Woody laughed and turned to you.

You held out your hand to grasp his, but it faded right through. His body began to disappear. 

"It`s going to be okay, ___. I`ll see you soon." 

Your heart leapt at his wistful voice. "Woody!" you cried as his face, his eyes vanished before you. "Thank you..." you mumbled. 

You folded my hands in front of you and waited...

"___..." Bonnie whined as she shook you awake. 

You blinked open your eyes and inhaled deeply. "Huh, what?" you murmured, stretching your arms upwards. 

"Yay, you`re awake!" Bonnie cried as she launched herself at you, eliciting a grunt from you. "Guess what? Guess what? You slept all by yourself!" 

You gently pushed the young girl off of you as you sat up and rubbed your eyes. Still reeling from the deep sleep, you glanced at the window which streamed bright sunlight into the room. You then looked over at the clock on your bedside table. 

"11:34am? I slept that late?" You were stunned. You were used to seeing the clock read 2:00am or 3:00am. You slept the whole night and then some! 

"Yup, Mommy wanted me to let you sleep," Bonnie frowned. "So I ate my breakfast and played outside already! Oh! And Mommy says it`s lunchtime." 

You scratched your head in disbelief. "Oh, um, okay. I`ll get up then. Thanks for waking me up, Bonnie." You smiled at your cousin. 

She grinned and pushed herself off your bed. Before she left, she turned to you, "Oh yeah! ___?" 

You tossed my legs over the side of the bed and got to your feet. "Yeah, Bonnie?" 

"Did you borrow Woody last night?"

You froze and slowly turned your head to look at the girl. "No...why?" 

"Because Woody wasn`t in my bed last night. Wait!" She ran over to the other side of your bed and stood in front of your bedside table. "Here he is!" 

You glanced back and gasped. 

There sat Woody, facing your direction, his soft smile on his face. _ What...? But I didn`t put him there... _

Bonnie picked up the doll and hugged him close, closing her eyes and humming happily.

"I...haven`t played with Woody since yesterday, Bonnie," you said breathlessly, more to yourself than her.

"Really? Well, I didn`t put him here, you didn`t put him here...Mommy didn`t put him here..." Bonnie screwed up her face in concentration. "Maybe Woody came to see you by himself! Maybe he saw you couldn`t sleep so he wanted to stay with you and protect you!" 

Rather than be spooked by the idea of a moving toy, you felt rather flattered. You gripped your arm and smiled. 

"You think so?" you blushed, thinking of the last tender moments of your dream with Woody. 

"Yeah!" Bonnie giggled and ran over to you, Woody in hand. She jumped into your lap and held up the cowboy doll to you. "Andy said Woody`s the bravest cowboy ever! And he will always be there for you no matter what!" 

You carefully took Woody from Bonnie and held him up to eye-level. You smiled, your whole being feeling warm. 

"I definitely believe that," you said. You embraced Woody tightly, closing my eyes as you did so. "Thank you, Sherriff. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Relief and peace leaked into your heart - two feelings you didn`t think you would ever feel again. All thanks to a plastic, cotton-filled cowboy.

"Girls, come on! Time for lunch!" Aunt Jen called. 

Bonnie jumped down from your lap and tugged on your hand, jumping animatedly. "Oh yeah! Let`s go!" 

You laughed at the girl`s antics and stood up, carefully placing Woody on your bed. You let Bonnie lead you to your door, but then she took off for the kitchen, eager to eat her lunch. 

Just before you could follow her, you remembered something. You hung back and simpered at the toy. "Oh yeah...and you`re welcome in my dreams anytime, Cowboy."

Then you left the room, ready to enjoy the reprieve and calm that Woody helped you to find.

Unbeknownst to you, Woody sat up on your bed and grinned wistfully after you. He sighed happily and whispered, "I`m so happy that I could help you...and I`ll hold you to that, partner. I`ll see you in your dreams."


End file.
